90047 and the 37707/708 connection 1990-2011
Thanks to “MIB”.
Back in September 1990 when things were declining I still managed 13 consecutive overnights on a Scottish bash following on from my 15 out of 16 overnights in 1986 proving beyond doubt I was out of control. It was on this bash that I made a guest appearance at that well known shack Insch on five occasions in early mornings. I did also manage to scratch the shack in the previous month making my total appearances as 6 all time. It was to be in August 1990 that I scooped 90047 which is why, after a gap of over 20 years, I had to go and and get it again as it has reminded me of the pesky snout that gave me the run around. Mind you I would go for any 90 just to get haulage out of MK.
Turning the clock back to 17 August 1990 after doing the Blair Atholl overnight moves yet again with 47518 (0010 Inverness to QS) and 47550 (2350 Queen St to Inverness) I was in position for the cult 0458 to Aberdeen. On this occasion it was 47642 so I thought I would get off at Insch rather than suffer it to Aberdeen and no doubt have it back. The usual half hour fester was reduced as we were 20 late arriving but it was a good move to leap as 37156 was on the 0708 departure off Insch back to Inverness which was the stock for the Elgin. Not that I got much doss as it was cold stock to keep you awake after the therms from Inverness. Yet again the 0915 Inverness to Elgin proved to be a massive disappointment as it was not the required 37707 (the former 37001) which continued to elude me. When I was down south it was always 707 but when I was in position it was always 37708 (the former 37089). No less than 6 times I had the wrong heavyweight 708 on this train and the 1018 return. However, today it was different as it was 37114, the only time I ever had anything other than 708 on this service as sectorisation meant it should be either 707 or 708.
Back in Inverness I did 47518 again on the 1207 through to Aberdeen for 47704 on the 1555 to Edinburgh. I'm not sure how 518 got back to Inverness for 1207 seeing that it was on the midnight ten to Glasgow unless it came off at Perth. For the novelty factor we decided to bail at Carnoustie to score two shacks as by doing this we could walk alongside the railway (and on it at some point) to reach Golf Street Halt for the 1732 departure time to Montrose and its ridiculous 2 coach train. We picked the right day to do this daft move as 26038 appeared so we flagged it down in true bus stop mode. So we did the 26 to Montrose and then back to Perth on the 1808 before I suffered a 158 to Queen St. It was this night I scooped 90047 on the 2230 out of Glasgow Central which I did to Carlisle reminiscent of my 1986 overnights and I've not had the pleasure of 047 until last month.
26038
at a grey Montrose with the 1808 to Perth, 170890
I can't recall what was happening at that time but I think there might have been engineering works at Glasgow because I did 86260 on the 0130 departure out of Carlisle on Saturday 18 August to Shields Road where we reversed and 85040 towed us into Central. Here we had an hours fester before 37424 departed at 0440 but I could only do it to Helensburgh Upper because a monster snout was claimed to be on the Ayr. I suspect the 303 unit out of Lower station was the first departure on a Saturday to get back to Glasgow for a unit to Ayr. The gen was accurate as Eastfield's 37376 was on the 1040 to Carlisle so had to be done all the way as a big winner. This was my cue to head south as I was booked on the Barry Bucketeer railtour on the Sunday so I scratched 90032 Carlisle to Lancaster for dud 31106 to Barrow and back on the 1734 return to Preston. A unit to Chorley for 31142 back to Preston and a slow car with a normal from Preston to Bristol then followed.
New grid 56032 was on the 0530 Bristol to Boulby "Tees-Maid" railtour on Sunday 19 August so it was scratched to Cheltenham for a 3 hour fester and breakfast awaiting the snout fest about to happen on the Bucketeer which originated at Crewe. Whilst it would have made sense to do the car Preston to Crewe the problem was the snouts were dud and I needed the grid going the other way which is why I instructed my driver to go to Bristol. The move was 37895 + 37235 tnt with 37689 + 37887 all powering Cheltenham to Bridgend, Bridgend to Barry, Barry to Bridgend, Bridgend to Barry all via the VoG. Then it was winner 37896 Barry to Bridgend and 37799 + 37235 Bridgend to Newport again via the VoG.
We bailed off the tour to do a unit to Keynsham because I needed 37239 on the 1815 Weymouth to Cardiff due off Keynsham at 2019. We were going to do 239 to Cardiff with its 8 coach load but as it was 50 minutes late and there was a heavyweight required for new number behind we decided to bail at Newport. 37883 appeared with the 1919 from Liverpool and got us to Cardiff at 2300. Desperate Dave gave us a lift home to Bedford via Bristol.
So that was when I had 90047 but what about 37707? Well moving on to Thursday 27th September 1990, I changed my usual strategy by doing an overnight leap at Dalwhinnie as the 0010 was 30 late and we decided to watch a bit of telly in Dalwhiinie's "brick bothy" at 2am on a fellow bashers mini tv and share the coffee slops as you do well above sea level. This time I did 37402 on the 0610 Inverness to Aberdeen and bailed at Huntly for the train that provided the stock for the 0915 which produced a bonus pair of 37421 + 37418 to get back to Inverness. On arrival at platform 3 we were blown when dud 08762 came on the back of our stock and took us up to Millburn Jcn to shunt release the pair. As we arrived back in platform 4 to our horror the 0915 was a unit. The sprinterisation was taking its toll as from the Wednesday one hauled rake of stock came out of service and I think this was the second day running the 0915 did not produce. The only thing that saved the day was 26024 on the 1808 Montrose to Perth which I usually attacked off the 1658 from Dyce.
Moving
on a month and a shot of the damn nuisance that was 37708 at Inverness with the
0915 to Elgin, 250990
Friday 28 September was to be my day of reckoning and the final chance of getting 37707. It obliged on the overnight northbound tanks as part of the Elgin diagram but I knew I was in trouble despite what the other cranks thought. Even though the stock produced on the inbound Aberdeen the day before with the gronk bowl out things did not auger well. So it was I headed off to Keith with 37419 on the 0610 out of Inverness only to discover Scotrail played their Joker card. Yes, that's right, the service back to form the 0915 was a sprinter so another hauled rake was reeled in. Predictably the unit did the 0915 and 37707 laughed at me on the depot.
So my last attempt to get 707 (14th attempt in total surely some record in bowl outs for one loco?) had been defeated as by the following Monday it was solid sprinters. I headed south on the 1010 out of Inverness with a rather unusual twank 47816 to Perth before heading back to Aberdeen via Dundee with 47635. I then did 37402 on the 1638 Aberdeen to Dyce and 1658 to Montrose for one last fling on the 1808 Perth with 37152. As 90018 took me to Brum on the 2230 out of Glasgow Central I could hear the Highlanders laughing at the defeated Sassenach retreating south "tae think agin" and not to " haste ye back".
Of course I did get 37707 in the end on a railtour as one of a pair out of Crewe, a lot closer to home, but I was never to have it on a service train. Even then it annoyed me as it was booked to work the Farewell to Eastgate railtour at 7am on 19 March 1993 which meant to get to Crewe at that hour I had to do an overnight. Naturally because I did a rancid move to get to it the tour departed 1 hour late at 8am which was a time of departure I could make without the need of an overnight! Still it was good mileage to Eastgate and back but I was not amused by its partner in crime that day. What else but flaming 37708?
Thanks to “MIB” for the words and phots